The present invention relates to a kind of fastener and a method for manufacturing it, more particularly, to a waterproof and washable magnetic button and method for manufacturing it.
The existing magnetic button used on articles, such as trunks, cases or bags, is usually composed of a magnetic button top cover and a magnetic button main body. The top cover of the magnetic button has fitting legs, and the magnetic button main body comprises a case, a magnet disposed inside the case and a button lower cover with fitting legs. Through the fitting legs disposed on the button top cover and button lower cover, the magnetic button is fixed on articles such as handbags, leather bags etc. which need frequent opening and closing for opening and closing them. However, such conventional magnetic button has not been able to be used on articles which also need frequent opening and closing such as overcoats, leather coats, fur clothing, suits etc. This is because the magnetism of the magnet used in prior art magnetic button is not strong enough (the magnetic field intensity is about 500 Gauss). In order to increase the magnetism, the only way is to increase the size or thickness of the magnet usually to 8 mm, which is not suitable for use on clothing. Secondly, there is no way to provide needle holes in such magnetic button for fixing the magnetic button, with thread on clothes as the ordinary buttons. Thirdly, as the prior art magnetic button is made by stamping the steel sheet, the occurrence of rust cannot be avoided though it is treated by electroplating or anticorrosive processing. And fourthly, consideration of waterproof property has not been given to prior art magnetic button, so it cannot be washed with water.
In order to overcome the above drawbacks of the conventional magnetic button and to extend the application scope of the magnetic button from articles such as handbags, leather bags, cases or portfolio etc., to the category of clothes, one object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic button which is waterproof and washable. The other object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing of the magnetic button which is waterproof and washable.
The object of the present invention can be realized as follows: the magnetic button of the present invention comprises:
a button body, it has a front button face, the central portion of said front button face is a raised plane, its peripheral edge portion is lower than the raised plane of the front button face, in the said peripheral edge portion is defined a needling channel for affixing the magnetic button; the back face of the button body is a flat rear button face, a cavity is provided in-between the front button face and the rear button face; a magnet is placed in the cavity of the button body with one face being N pole and the other being S pole, a steel plate whose shape and size match with the shape and size of the magnet, with its peripheral edge extending vertically in one direction so that the extending edge just surrounds the magnet and the steel plate is placed on one surface of the magnet.
The method for manufacturing the magnetic button comprises the following steps:
Step A: making a button body with non-magnetic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or ABS soft plastics. Said button body has a front button face and the central portion of the front button face is a raised plane, the peripheral edge of the front button face is lower than the raised plane of the front button face, and in the peripheral edge is defined a needling channel for a sewing machine to fix the magnetic button with thread; a cavity is defined in the back face of the button body in a portion corresponding to the raised plane of the front button face, the shape and the size of the cavity match with the steel plate, in the periphery of the cavity has a concave groove, and the edge portion of the back face of the button body being a plane;
Step B: putting the magnet into the steel plate with a N or S magnetic pole, the steel plate, under the magnetic attractive force of the magnet, is joined together with the magnet with the vertically extending edge portion of the steel plates just surrounding the magnet; if the magnet is placed in the steel plate with N pole against the steel plate, a sign A1 is given to the magnetic button thus formed; if the magnet is placed in the steel plate with S pole against the steel plate, the magnetic button thus formed is given a sign B1, then the joined magnet and the steel plate are placed in the cavity with the magnet surface being put tightly against the front button face;
Step C: a piece of sealing material made of the same material as that of the button body and having the size matching with the concave groove in the back face of the button body is placed in the concave groove and by means of hot pressing technique the sheet packing is made combined with the button body integrally, so that the magnet and the steel plate are sealed in the button body, after the sealing, the back face of the button presents a generally flat surface. Obviously, the magnetic button manufactured according to the method of the present invention is waterproof and washable because it is surrounded and sealed by non-magnetic material. Furthermore, because a needling channel is provided in the edge portion of the magnetic button for sewing with the sewing machine, the magnetic button of the present invention can be used on clothing, handbags, cases, trunks, knapsack and bags. In addition, as the magnetic button according to the present invention can automatically attract and join with each other due to its strong magnetic force, it is well suited for use in cold weather or in the situation where the button cannot be unbuttoned due to cold weather or other causes, and it is particularly suitable for use with children who do not know how to use buttons.